Thursday, June 17, 2010

Hackers use Google trending topics to spread malware

Ensure you have up-to-date virus protection

The Google trends are once again a mix of hot trends, including the Gulf Oil Spill, Michael Jackson, Miley Cyrus, Microsoft and Microsoft Kinect.

Unfortunately, those who are searching for more information on a trending topic are being lured in by hackers who don't provide anything more than an unhealthy dose of malware, a term used for malicious software.

By using clever SEO (Search Engine Optimization) techniques, websites are created that look as if they are filled with information on news topics such as the Gulf oil crisis or supposed pictures of Miley Cyrus in the buff. Unfortunately, the sites can cause a virus to attack your computer and will provide you with absolutely none of the information you are looking for.

Pop-up warnings that inform you that your computer is in danger of facing security issues will often show up when you land on these spammy sites. The warnings are not real and if you click on them, you will download dangerous software on your computer.

There is often a fee for these services and that will threaten the safety of your credit card information as well as your computer if you use it to pay for these fake services.

It is important to have up-to-date virus protection on your computer to help protect against malware.

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